Game Book

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Sophia Dean registered a career-high nine saves and Zeta McDannels (87') scored her first career goal to help the UTEP soccer team secure a 1-1 tie at second-place WKU Thursday evening.
 
It was back-and-forth for much of the match before McDannels found the back of the net to put the Miners (3-8-4, 0-3-3) up, 1-0, with less than four minutes to play. Dannique Wilson was credited with her team-best fourth assist of the campaign on the play.
 
UTEP looked poised to hand the Toppers (7-4-3, 4-0-2) their first loss in league play, but the home side managed to score with only 11 seconds left in regulation. Maggie Bellair was stopped by Dean with 30 seconds left. The ball stayed deep in Miner territory where Alyvia Walls bested Dean with 11 seconds to play. Lauren Alexander was given an assist on the play.
 
The equalizer capped a wild 90 minutes of action where the Orange and Blue went toe-to-toe with one of the top teams in CUSA. UTEP registered 11 shots, including seven on target, while also earning four corners. At the other end of the pitch, Dean was dazzling in her first appearance and start with UTEP. The East Texas A&M transfer was credited with a career-most nine stops (prior-high eight at North Texas, 8/27/23), on the way to her third shutout at the collegiate level. She previously had two clean sheets with the Lions.
 
Maddie Davis had five saves for WKU, which also used a team save to clear the ball off the line early in the second stanza.
 
Dean was called upon within the first 30 seconds of the match, denying Makenna Egan (1') on a shot placed in the bottom, left part of the frame. The home side then secured a corner, but tight marking from the Orange and Blue forced Bellair (6') to misfire high.
 
UTEP generated its first offensive threat with a corner kick (11'), but nothing came of it. Dean was called upon again, turning away an attempt by Ansley Rice (13'). The ball stayed deep in Miner territory after a foul, which the Toppers eventually used to earn a corner kick. The try from Kora Kipley (15') didn't get to Dean.
 
Wilson (24') created the initial shot in the affair for the Orange and Blue, but it was errant. UTEP kept chopping away, with Hayden McMillan (29') prompting a stop by Davis. WKU went back on the attack, but Dean handled the chance by Alaina Nugier (33'). Three minutes later, Dean delivered another stop against Rice (37'). WKU continued to pester Dean, who registered a stop vs. Danielle Lewis (40'). Neither squad did anything down the stretch, keeping the match scoreless heading to halftime.
 
Similar to the first half, Dean was called up in the opening moments after the break. She registered the save on a shot from Danielle Lewin (46'). UTEP then fired up its offense, and it nearly broke the scoreless deadlock. Mina Rodriguez (49') fired to force a save from Davis. WKU couldn't clear, and in scramble mode, McMillian (50') sent one that seemed destined for the back of the net. Davis was nowhere to be found, but the ball was sent away off the line with a slide by a WKU defender. The Orange and Blue were unable to capitalize on the ensuing corner kick.
 
Wilson (65') tested Davis midway through the period, but she was up to the task. WKU then countered quickly, securing another corner, its ninth of the match. UTEP handled it easily, though, not allowing a shot after the service. The Miners were back in the attacking third as the half wore on, where Anai Lopez (75') blasted a shot toward Davis only to be stopped. UTEP earned another corner kick with roughly 10 minutes left, but the sequence was stopped with a foul during the service.
 
The Orange and Blue's attack finally broke through with less than four minutes to play in the match when McMillan beat Davis after the fine feed from McDannels. UTEP looked like it was going to pick up the road victory, but it had to settle for a tie after WKU found the back of the net as the clock wound down in the contest.
 
The Miners will now turn their attention to playing at Middle Tennessee in its final road match of the season at 12 p.m. MT/1 p.m. CT Sunday
 

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